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Tonight we will be looking at 
the justice of God in his merciful election, found in Romans 9, 
verses 14 to 18. You can kindly, or gingerly, 
or aggressively, or however you want to turn there, just get 
to that passage. Romans 9, verses 14 to 18. I will read from verse 1 to verse 
29 to set the context. I am speaking the truth in Christ. I am not lying. My conscience 
bears me witness in the Holy Spirit that I have great sorrow 
and unceasing anguish in my heart, for I could wish that I myself 
were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers 
my kinsmen, according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and 
to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the 
giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong 
the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, 
is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word 
of God has failed. For not all who are descended 
from Israel belong to Israel. And not all are children of Abraham, 
because they are his offspring. But through Isaac shall your 
offspring be named. This means that it is not the 
children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the 
children of the promise are counted as offspring. For this is what 
the promise said, about this time next year I will return 
and Sarah shall have a son. And not only so, but also when 
Rebecca had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, 
though they were not yet born and had done nothing neither 
good or bad, in order that God's purpose of election might continue, 
not because of works, but because of him who calls. She was told, 
the older will serve the younger. As it is written, Jacob I loved, 
but Esau I hated. What shall we say then? Is there 
injustice on God's part? By no means. For he says to Moses, 
I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion 
on whom I have compassion. So then it depends not on human 
will or exertion, but on God who has mercy. For the scripture 
says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I have raised you up, 
that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be 
proclaimed in all the earth. So then he has mercy on whomever 
he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. Will you say to me 
then, why does he still find fault? For who can resist his 
will? But who are you, O man, to answer 
back to God? Will what is molded say to its 
molder, why have you made me like this? Has the potter no 
right over the clay to make out of the same lump one vessel for 
honourable use, and another for dishonorable use. What if God, 
desiring to show His wrath and to make known His power, has 
endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction 
in order to make known the riches of His glory for vessels of mercy 
which He has prepared beforehand for glory? even us whom he has 
called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles. As 
indeed he says in Hosea, those who were not my people I will 
call my people, and her who was not my beloved I will call beloved. 
And in the very place where it was said to them, you are not 
my people, there they will be called sons of the living God. And Isaiah cries out concerning 
Israel, though the number of the sons of Israel be as the 
sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved. For the 
Lord will carry out his sentence upon the earth fully and without 
delay. And as Isaiah predicted, if the 
Lord of hosts had not left us offspring, we would have been 
like Sodom and become like Gomorrah. Amen. Let us go to the Lord God 
in prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, the Sovereign 
One over all the earth, the One who creates it and the One who 
governs it, the One who deserves all glory and power and honor 
and fame from us, Lord God, yet sometimes we forget to give that 
to You. Please forgive us for that, Lord 
God. Forgive us for not giving You 
the glory You deserve. forgive us for not trusting in 
you. As we see in this passage, we 
see that it is your right, it is your prerogative to choose 
whom you will choose, Lord God, and help us just to see the insignificance 
of us as humans and to magnify who you are, to magnify your 
divine attributes, Lord God, that we might trust in you, that 
we might give you the praise that is due unto you, Lord God. 
I pray that you would God, just be here with your Holy Spirit 
that you would just open up our hearts that we might submit to 
you, even if we do not like the things that it says, Lord God. 
As Titus says, Paul says to Titus, a pastor must hold to the trustworthy 
word as taught. I think that's the same for all 
of us, Lord. Help us to hold fast to your word, to submit 
to it as we should. We pray all this for the glory 
of thy name, that we might magnify you, Lord God. Amen. Well, the Book of Romans is written 
by the Apostle Paul to the church at Rome, which consisted of both 
Jewish and Gentile Christians. The thesis of the book can be 
found in chapter 1, verses 16 and 17, which says this, For 
I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for 
salvation to every believer, first for the Jew and then for 
the Greek. For in it the righteousness of 
God has been revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the 
righteous shall live by faith. And the Apostle expounds on these 
two verses throughout the rest of the book. He expounds on the 
power of God for salvation, and how in the gospel is the righteousness 
of God. The word dikaiosune, which means 
righteousness, permeates the book of Romans, and this is what 
Paul's trying to highlight. In 1 verse 18 to 3 verse 20, Paul highlights God's righteousness 
in his wrath against sinners. In chapter 3, verse 21 to 45, 
Paul highlights the saving righteousness of God, specifically talking 
about the doctrine of justification. Justification simply means that 
we are legally declared not guilty in God's sight because of the 
work of the Lord Jesus Christ, which has been imputed to us. 
It is Christ's righteousness, it is God's righteousness that 
we are granted and not our own. And then in chapters 5, 6, and 
7, Paul highlights the hope as a result of this, hope as a result 
of the righteousness by faith, which includes glorification, 
which is the ultimate purpose or the ultimate end for sinners 
who are saved, He highlights adoption, that we can be seen 
as sons of God, and he also highlights sanctification. And then we come 
to Romans 9. Now, the attentive reader who 
reads Romans 1 to 8 will naturally ask the question, Why is it that 
some Jews do not believe? Why is it some Jews have not 
submitted to the Lord Jesus Christ? And this is what Paul, this is 
where Paul undertakes to deal with this question in Romans 
chapter 9. In 9 verses, or 9 to 11, excuse 
me. In 9 verses 1 to 13, Paul highlights 
who true Israel is, And then in verses 14 to 18, he highlights 
the justification for that, or the justice behind that, which 
is what we will be looking at this evening. God is just in 
election. simply because he claims the 
right to do so. He claims the right to bestow 
mercy and to execute judgment. He is God, he is the maker of 
heaven and earth, and as we will see, Paul is asserting that it 
is God's entitlement to that. I know a lot of people don't 
like that, but may we just put ourselves away for a moment and 
just look to the Lord Jesus Christ and just look at the deity of 
our great creator. Romans 9 to 11 is the foundation 
in eternity for the benefits given in Romans 1 to 8. Romans 9 to 11 is the foundation 
in eternity for the benefits given in Romans 1 to 8. I'm going to speak in a systematic 
way just to hopefully categorize where I'm going, but we have 
something called the pactum salutis, that is the pact of salvation, 
that is before the foundation of the world, before God created 
the world, God, within his Trinity, within his triunity, he purposed 
to save sinners in the Lord Jesus Christ. is how that is accomplished in 
history, it's what Christ has done, and then we have the Ordo 
Salutis, or the Order of Salvation, and how that's applied to specific 
individuals, to specific people. There's an excellent book by 
a man named John Murray called Redemption Accomplished and Applied, 
and he deals with this very thing. He talks about how it's accomplished, 
in Christ and then how those benefits are then given or bestowed 
upon believers. And predestination or election, 
predestination is the work or the decision of God in eternity 
to either save sinners, to save some, to elect some, or to send 
some to eternal punishment. To either elect some unto eternal 
life, or to elect some unto eternal punishment, or to send people 
unto eternal punishment. It's the work in eternity. The elect refers to the people, 
the people that are saved, specifically the ones who've been chosen for 
everlasting life. Again, before the foundation 
of the world. I think our A predestination 
is simply one aspect of the order of salvation. As I've said already, 
the ultimate purpose is glorification. The ultimate end is glorification 
when the Lord Jesus Christ returns and we get to be with him for 
eternity. It's glorification, those whom 
will be glorified, certainly will persevere. We've heard of 
the perseverance of the saints. Those who persevere will be sanctified 
or will live a Christian life and hopefully die more and more 
unto sin and grow more and more unto conformity with the Lord 
Jesus Christ. Those who are sanctified are 
justified And just the way we are justified is through the 
instrument of faith, that is, belief on the Lord Jesus Christ. And we come to that through repentance, 
that is, we see our sin and the need for the Lord Jesus Christ, 
we have a change of mind, and we don't have a change of mind 
unless we've been regenerated, that is, the implanting of a 
new principle within our heart, or a heart surgery, if you will, 
by the Holy Spirit. But none of those things happen. 
without predestination, without election in eternity. None of 
those things happen in history without God choosing someone 
in eternity. It is simply one aspect of salvation. And that's what I just want us 
to see right now. I think our confession highlights this very 
well in chapter 3, paragraph 6. As God hath appointed the 
elect unto glory, so he hath by the eternal and most free 
purpose of his will foreordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore, 
they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed in Christ, 
are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit, working 
in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept 
by His power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other 
redeemed by Christ or affectionately called justified, adopted, sanctified, 
and saved but the elect only. but the elect only. So he goes 
through that ordo salutis, the order of salvation. I think the 
order of salvation would be an excellent summer study because 
I think even in evangelical circles, a lot of people question, did 
I choose God or did God choose me? Well, proper understanding 
of the order of salvation, I think would clear that up very, very, 
very well because it is those But certainly if you have faith, 
certainly that's one aspect. Faith is one aspect of it. But 
you don't have faith unless you've been predetermined, unless you've 
been chosen by God. Unless you've been chosen by 
God. And certainly it is a beautiful 
thing, predestination. Election is a wonderful thing. 
Since God has foreordained someone, I think of, it's a beautiful 
and the most joyous arranged marriage. God has picked his 
bride, he has chosen his bride, and he seeks her out in eternity. What does he say in Ephesians 
1, 3? In love, he predestined us. There is a beautiful motive 
in predestination. It is love, so that people might 
be saved. And as we will see soon, it's 
permeating with mercy, with mercy and kindness. And before we get 
into the actual doctrine itself and God's justice in it, let 
us not take our eyes off the Savior. Pastor Anne Martin, talking 
about how a pastor's job is to make sure he preaches Christ 
and him crucified gives this excellent illustration of Christ 
being the source of life for every doctrine. Let us not forget 
the Lord Jesus Christ when we study any part, any systematic 
theology, when we study church history, when we study salvation, 
let us have our minds and thoughts on the work of the Savior. Even 
Scripture talks about this in relationship to predestination. 
Ephesians 1, verses 3 and 4. Blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual 
blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him. chose us in Christ before the 
foundation of the world. In Romans 8 29, which some theologians 
see as, or Dr. Robert Raymond sees it as the 
skeletal framework for that order of salvation or the application 
of benefit. Romans 8 28 to 30, and we know 
that for those who love God, All things work together for 
good for those who are called according to his purpose. For 
those whom he foreknew, that is, those whom he foreordained 
in an intimate way, he also predestined to be conformed to the image 
of his son, to be conformed to the image of his son in order 
that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those 
whom he predestined, he also called. And those whom He called, 
He also justified. And those whom He justified, 
He also glorified. So with our eyes now fixed on 
the Savior, let us now look at the doctrine of election, or 
the justice of God in it. Romans 9, verse 14. What shall 
we say then? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means. Romans, the genre 
of Romans is called a diatribe. It's a rhetorical genre. Rhetoric 
just means how to argue or a mode of argumentation, and Romans 
is written this way. David Allen gives an excellent 
definition of what this is, so hopefully we can see and understand 
what's going on throughout the book of Romans with his definition. 
A diatribe is a modern literary term describing an informal rhetorical 
mode of argumentation principally characterized by a lively dialogical 
style, including the use of imaginary discussion with a partner to 
whom are attributed hypothetical objections and false conclusions. It is a dialogical style, it's 
a dialogue using imaginary people or an imaginary partner to whom 
are attributed hypothetical objections and false conclusions. Paul sets 
forth a doctrine, and then before an opponent of that doctrine 
can even question it. Paul does it for them. I can 
just picture Paul as he's dictating this letter to his scribe, Tertius. He's probably saying, Terti, 
I'll be the Calvinist, you be the Arminian, and as I lay forth 
this doctrine, you just ask the question. So what goes on in 
13, Paul says, as it is written, Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. 
And Tertius will go, what shall we say then? Is God unjust? Or 
is there injustice on God's part? And Paul goes, by no means. Paul 
is already answering the question. Paul's already seeing or anticipating. Some commentators see that Paul 
is anticipating, or some see it as a result of his ministry 
and the questions that he faced. I'm sure it's a little bit of 
both. but he's certainly already seeing the objections that come 
to election and he's going to respond to them. What shall we 
say then? Is there injustice on God's part? 
By no means. Let us look at the objected idea. 
God salvificly elects or chooses individuals to receive the benefits 
accomplished by Christ. He simply, salvificly elects 
individual people to receive the benefits procured by Christ. What's going on in Romans 9 verses 
1 to 13? As I've said already, the perceptive 
reader would question why some Jews do not believe. And Paul 
then explains who true Israel is. Let's look at verse 7 in 
chapter 9. And not all are children of Abraham 
because they are his offspring, but through Isaac shall your 
offspring be named. This means that it is not the 
children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children 
of the promise are counted as offspring. We see the same thing 
in Galatians chapter 3. You can turn there. Galatians 
chapter 3. Again, relating to Abraham as 
well. Verse 7, Galatians 3 verse 7, 
Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing 
that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel 
beforehand to Abraham, saying, In you shall all the nations 
be blessed. So then those who are of faith 
are blessed along with Abraham. It is not ethnic Israel that 
is saved. It's spiritual Israel that is 
saved. It's not based on our ethnicity. 
It's not based on our social standing. It's not based on our 
gender. but God simply elects according 
to his choice. And this is what he says in verse 
11, concerning Jacob and Esau, though they were not yet born 
and had done nothing, neither good or bad. Though they were not yet born 
and had done nothing, either good or bad. God didn't look 
down the corridors of time and see which one would choose and 
which one wouldn't. He elected before they could 
do anything, whether good or bad. And then he goes, so that 
the purpose of election might continue, not because of works, 
Not based on anything we do, but because of Him who calls. But because of Him who calls. Has the Word of God failed because 
some Jews do not believe? No. Because salvation is not 
based on ethnicity, but it's based on God's purpose of election. God's purpose of election. And may I say something concerning 
the interpretation of 1 verse 13 or 9 verses 1 to 13. Sometimes people do not like 
this and people try to explain this away in many different ways. 
They see it as referring to ethnic Israel. Some see it as the elect 
being those whom will choose based on their free will and 
the reprobate who reject based on their free will. In other 
words, it's referring to nations and not individual people. May 
I say that the presence of verse 14 enhances the idea that God 
is speaking about individual people. Another way to say verse 
14 is this, that doesn't seem very fair, does it? And that's what people normally 
say, don't they? When they hear this idea of election, 
that doesn't seem very fair, God. So if God, if as people 
try to explain verses 1 to 13, what's their motive? They're 
trying to make it fair. Why have verses 14 to 18 if he's 
not speaking about individual people? I think he is speaking 
about individual people. He is speaking about specific 
people he chose before the foundation of the world. Now let us go into 
the justice of God in it. We have scriptural evidence, 
or I call it the scriptural evidence for the righteousness of God 
in election, which is verses 15 to 18. God is not unjust in election, 
in predestination, because He's 
God. That's just, that's it. He's just God. Were you there in eternity when 
the Lord God planned or made the blueprints for the earth? 
Were you there when the Lord God planned out how everything 
would function according to His most holy, wise, and powerful 
preserving? Were you sitting in the heavenly 
house of commons, sipping your latte and watching what God would 
do? No! Think about the attributes of 
God for just one moment. Consider omnipresence. Can you 
be here and in Jamaica at the same time? Can I be here and sitting there 
watching myself as I do this? No, I cannot. God is omnipresent 
and that the highlights that He is God, as our pastor and 
brother has said many times, to deny the sovereignty of God 
is to deny His Godhood. He is just God. He claims the 
right. He is entitled to His creatures 
that He has created. And as we will see, this is what 
exactly what he says. First of all, to Moses and then 
to Pharaoh. The structure in 15 to 18 is 
quite similar. They actually parallel one another. 
We have verse 15, a reason for God not being unjust concerning 
his compassion, and then an implication in verse 16. And then 17 also 
is answering verse 14. I see it as the as the sovereignty of God in 
his justice or in his power overhardening as well. We see a reason for 
it and then an implication in verse 18. But look at verse 15. For he says to Moses, I will 
have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on 
whom I have compassion. I will have mercy on whom I have 
mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. Grant 
Osborne, commenting on Romans 9 as a whole, calls the frequent 
quoting of Old Testament passages pearl-stringing. And what that 
does, it highlights the unity of Scripture on a theme. This 
isn't new. God's election is not new. It happened, again, as we've 
seen in verse 11, neither good or bad. As we see in Ephesians 
1, God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world. And as we can see, He says to 
Moses, verse 15, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and 
I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. This is found 
in Exodus 33. It's this quote from Exodus 33. 
You can turn there, please. I'm sure you can turn there. 
It's possible. You may turn there. Exodus 33, verse 19. What's going 
on here? What's happening in this section 
of scripture? In verse 32, we have the golden 
calf experience. Moses is up chatting with God, 
which is amazing up there talking to God and he's he's and he's 
delayed and the people decide that they will that they will 
that they will worship and serve a calf and attribute to the calf 
the saving mercy of God and thus commit idolatry before him and 
in 33 Moses intercedes he acts as that covenant mediator for 
his people. We'll be reading at verse 12. Moses said to the Lord, see you 
say to me bring up this people but you have not let me know 
whom you will send with me yet you have said I will know I know 
you by name and you have also found favor in my sight. Now, 
therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me 
now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in 
your sight. Consider, too, that this nation 
is your people. And he said, My presence will 
go with you, and I will give you rest. He said to him, If 
your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 
For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, 
I and your people? Is it not you're going with us 
so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other 
people on the face of the earth? And the Lord said to Moses, This 
very thing that you have spoken, I will do. For you have found 
favor in my sight, and I know you by name. Moses said, please 
show me your glory. And he said, I will make my goodness 
pass before you, and will proclaim before you my name, the Lord. 
And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will 
show mercy on whom I will show mercy." Listen to this quote 
by Hodge. It is not unjust in God to exercise 
His sovereignty in the distribution of His mercies, for He expressly 
claims the right. I will have mercy, not me, I 
will have mercy on whom I have mercy. I will have mercy on whom 
I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. I will forgive those whom I will 
forgive, and I will be sympathetic to those whom I will be sympathetic 
to." And look at the implication in verse 16. So then, it does 
not depend on him who wills or him who runs, but on the mercy 
of God. What is it? Salvation. It does not depend on him who 
wills, or him who runs, put on, as I rendered it, the saving 
mercy of God." The saving mercy of God. Man's will or effort 
is futile when it comes to salvation. What is the will? The will is 
our power of making a reasoned choice, or decision, or of controlling 
one's own actions. Salvation isn't based on my decision. 
I didn't choose to be a believer. I didn't choose to be saved. 
I didn't want to be saved. except because of the mercy of 
God. It's not based on my decision, 
nor is it based on my ability to act upon that decision, but 
on the saving mercy of God. It's not anything I can do. The 
word effort, or as I rendered it, him who runs, Some translators 
or one grammarians that I read, they say it's used in relationship 
to athletics. One who's running, one who's 
working. Doesn't matter how many dumbbell curls you do, you're 
not going to make it to heaven based on what you do. If there's 
anyone out there searching today and they want to look at all 
the religions and which one is the right one for them, I'm going 
to just save you some time right now. Every other religion except 
for Christianity, every other religion except for Christianity, 
their method of salvation is based on your effort. It's based on what you do. not based on the saving mercy 
of God. I don't know about you, but I'm 
pretty dumb sometimes, and sometimes I get home from work and I really 
want to read, but sometimes I don't do it all the time. Sometimes 
I don't do it all the time, but praise be to God that he saves 
people not based on their will or their efforts. Praise be to 
God, just even on, just like, just on a purely logical level, 
God gives us mercy, or we have to earn it. Which one would you 
pick? I don't know. God gives us mercy, or you have 
to earn it. In some religions, there's reincarnation, 
as if this world, you don't suffer enough, you have to do it all 
again. That seems a little hopeless, like millions and millions and 
millions of years. I don't really want to do that. 
I really don't want to do that. Praise be to God for His saving 
mercy. Praise be to God for His saving 
mercy. And part of the reason man's 
will is futile and man's effort is futile has already been highlighted 
in the book of Romans. Romans 1 to 3 highlights the 
sinfulness of man. There is no one righteous, no, 
not one. And then we come to the good 
news in 3 verse 21. We have a righteousness that 
is not our own but comes from the Lord Jesus Christ. Man falls 
short of the glory of God according to Romans 3.22. And man is totally 
depraved. Man is totally depraved. That 
doesn't mean man is as bad as he can possibly be. It just means 
in the totality of my being, from my head to my toes, from 
my hips to my fingertips, all of me is sinful. And by extension, 
I am unable to submit to God's law. Romans 8 Listen to this 
beautiful, beautiful quote from Calvin. Election is attributed wholly 
to the divine goodness, which freely takes those whom neither 
will achieve, nor strive, nor even think of such things. Election 
is attributed wholly to the divine goodness, which freely takes 
those whom neither will achieve, nor strive, nor even think of 
such things. Oh, just, I think we just praise 
the Lord for that very thing alone, that He saves people not 
based on what they would do, but according to His goodness 
and to His mercy. According to His goodness and 
to His mercy. And I mentioned the will word. 
Those who are opposed to this idea of election propound the 
idea of free will. Typically, we define them as 
Arminians or define it as Arminianism. But I think one thing that we 
all need to take heed of is how our belief on certain doctrines 
connect with other parts of our systematic theology or other 
parts of scripture. And when it comes to soteriology, 
And our minionistic soteriology, that is, Christ died for every 
single person without exception, as opposed to the Calvinistic 
theology, that Christ efficaciously died for those who are elect, So the Arminians believe that 
Christ died for every single person without exception, unlimited 
atonement, and it is based on their free will that gets them 
into heaven. What's that saying about theology 
proper? Arminianism... I just want to 
qualify, first of all. I don't think Arminians, first 
of all, know a lot of the times that they're Arminian. But second 
of all, I don't necessarily know that they always trace their 
thoughts concerning salvation to the doctrine of God. I think 
sometimes we don't do this either. What are we saying about one 
thing and how does that relate back to the doctrine of God is 
something we all need to take heed of. But specifically as 
I'm dealing with Arminianism, it implicitly denies the omnipotence 
and the wisdom of God. If so-called God planned to save 
every single person without exception, then he's got a stupid plan, 
doesn't he? Again, I don't think Arminians 
are calling God a wimp, stupid person, or God, or little girl, 
or any sort of thing like that. But you have to understand the 
implication when we say something like that concerning salvation. 
And when the doctrine of God begins to crumble, I think we've 
got a huge problem. We've got a huge problem for 
sure. And what I'm trying to do is to make sure that we magnify 
God, that He is the Omnipotent One who will save the people 
whom He will save, and He does it in the most beautiful, wise 
plan to the salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 16 27 ends, to the only 
wise God and that in Jesus Christ be the glory and the power forever 
and ever. Amen. To that effect. It's anyways 
praising God for his brilliance. The only wise God. The only wise God. Now let us look at God's sovereign 
choice, God's supremacy in justice, in judgment, over evil. Over 
evil in verse 17, verses 17 and 18. For the scripture says to 
Pharaoh, for this very purpose I have raised you up. For the 
scripture says to Pharaoh, for this very purpose I raised you 
up. by indirect application for the 
scripture says. As we see in Exodus 9, it's really 
God who's speaking. And that gives us another text 
to highlight that the scripture is the very words of God. The scripture says to Pharaoh, 
or God through Moses to Pharaoh, for this very purpose, I have 
raised you up. For this very purpose, I have 
raised you up. Whereas Fritz Reinecker and Cleon 
Rogers, cool names, Fritz Reinecker and Cleon Rogers, in their excellent 
linguistic key to the New Testament Greek text, highlight that the 
idea of God raising them up has this idea, that God raised them 
up on the stage of history for this purpose. God raised them 
up on the stage of history for this purpose. And here is the 
purpose. That I might show my power in 
you. that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth, that I might 
show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in 
all the earth." God is glorifying his name, he's magnifying his 
majesty, through vessels of wrath. Through vessels of wrath. And 
as I've said already, Paul already asked the question that opponents 
would ask, and he does the same thing in verse 19. How can God 
find fault? What does he say in verse 20? 
Be quiet. Be quiet. What if God desiring 
to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured 
with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction 
in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy. Doesn't he do this in the Exodus 
account? He demonstrates His grace and 
His goodness through vessels that are devoted to destruction. 
Through vessels that are devoted to destruction to proclaim His 
name, He saves the people of Israel through Pharaoh, through 
the hardness of Pharaoh. And may I say this to concerning 
Exodus? A lot of people question, did 
God harden Pharaoh's heart, or did Pharaoh God hardened his 
own heart. What's the first instance in 
Exodus 4.21? God hardened Pharaoh's heart. hardened Pharaoh's heart for 
this purpose, that he might proclaim his name in all the earth. And isn't it proclaimed? We have 
Exodus in our Bible now, don't we? It's proclaimed throughout 
all the earth. And even in the text, in Exodus 
chapter 9, just so you understand the context a little bit, it's 
through the plague cycles and it's the plague of hail that 
that Moses is pronouncing upon, or God is pronouncing through 
Moses upon Egypt. And then we have the implication 
in verse 18. Implication in verse 18. Oh, 
sorry. First of all, I want to read a quote by Hodge about Pharaoh. Pharaoh was no worse than any 
other men who have obtained mercy. Yet God, for wise and benevolent 
reasons, withheld from him the saving influences of his grace 
and gave him up to his own wicked hearts that he became more and 
more hardened until he was finally destroyed. God worked through 
Pharaoh. God hardened Pharaoh's heart 
for a sufficient reason that we cannot understand, that we 
do not necessarily know. Obviously, we see it now, we 
see it that he did that to, sorry, we do see that in Exodus, that 
he did demonstrate his mercy and his glory through Pharaoh, 
but sometimes we don't always know why God does things, but 
he does have a morally sufficient reason for that. Then let's look 
at the implication in verse 18. The implication in verse 18. So then he has mercy on whomever 
he wills, and he hardens whomever he wills. God's plan is ultimate 
in election. God's plan is ultimate in election. Listen to this quote by Cranfield. 
Men's stance in relation to God's purpose depend ultimately on 
God. depend ultimately on God, he 
has mercy on some in the sense that he determines them for a 
positive role in relation to his purpose, to a conscious and 
voluntary service. Others he hardens in the sense 
that he determines them for a negative role in relation to his purpose 
for an unconscious involuntary service. God is the king of the 
earth. God is the king of the universe. God is the creator of it. And he can do as he jolly good 
and well pleases. He can do whatever He wants because 
He is the Omnipotent One. He is the Wise One. He is the One that we must submit 
to. He is the One we must submit 
to. If I can go back to the observation 
that people question the election by saying that it's just not 
fair. And usually what they have in 
mind when they say it's not fair is that God sends people to hell 
based on his choice. But to only focus on reprobation 
misses the point of the text. It misses the point of the text. Notice the emphasis is on God's 
mercy. God's mercy. I will have mercy 
on whom I have mercy. And I will have compassion on 
whom I have compassion. Even the quote comes on the heels 
of the golden calf. We see God's grace and kindness 
in that event. For the scripture says, even 
the Pharaoh, sorry, verse 16, but God who has mercy, even in 
verse 17, the account with Pharaoh. The account with Pharaoh, God 
says, I'm gonna send hail, take your livestock in so that they 
don't die. God is even demonstrating his 
patience for vessels of wrath in that account. And then verse 
18, he has mercy. And again, what's the emphasis? 
God. God's mercy. God's mercy. God's mercy. We have the one, 
we are the ones that have sinned against the Supreme Judge. We are the ones that have sinned 
against the Supreme Judge. And who are we to question that? Owen has an amazing, I love this 
illustration from his book, Death of Death. I used it in a lot 
of papers because I just put the big block quote in. I know 
that would take up half a page as well, so that was pretty helpful. So anyway, he highlights the 
relationship between man and between God. God is the creditor 
and man is the debtor. First, the debtor is man. He 
oweth the 10,000 talents. Secondly, the debt is sin. Thirdly, 
that which is required in lieu of sin to make satisfaction for 
it is death. Fourthly, the obligation whereby 
the debtor is tied and bound is the law of God. Fifthly, the 
creditor that requireth this of us is God, considered as the 
party offended, severe judge, and supreme Lord of all things. But praise the Lord it doesn't 
stop there because we have a sixth point. Sixthly, that which interveneth 
to the destruction of the obligation is the ransom paid by Christ. Is the ransom paid by Christ? Election highlights God's mercy 
and God's goodness in his act in eternity to save people in 
history. What a blessing it is to know 
that. It is a blessing that should give us great joy and give us 
great security and push us to praise the Lord God. push us to praise the Lord God. 
I just want to close with a few concluding things that I've observed 
concerning this doctrine of election, doctrine of predestination. The first is this. Those whom 
are elect are only known by God. Those whom are elect are only 
known by God. I don't walk down the street 
going, that guy's elect, that guy's a wretch and a reprobate 
and going to hell. I don't go, that guy's certainly 
going to hell and that guy's certainly not. It is God's knowledge. And I think that extends to children 
as well. That extends to children as well. I don't have a kid yet. I pray that the Lord God would 
bless Jessica and I with little munchkins that run around and 
we can love them with great, great love. But what I'm trying 
to say is that God knows whom he will save, and that extends 
to children as well. Certainly parents should seek 
to raise them in a manner consistent with scripture, but ultimately, 
salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord, and 
we must trust him in that. Chrysostom has an excellent quote. 
God was telling Moses, that it was not his to know who was deserving 
God's love toward man. Rather, Moses was to leave that 
up to God. Moses was to leave salvation 
up to God. But it is not as though we can't 
see some sort of manifestation or some sort of evidence of election 
in history, some sort of evidence of it. And, sorry, first of all, 
the means by which the elect are called forth is through the 
gospel. It's through the gospel. It's 
not as though at the end of time God would, at the end we're just 
going to figure out who's elect and who's predestined and who's 
not. No, God calls them forth through the proclamation of the 
gospel. Listen to Romans 10 verses 14 
to 17. How, then, will they call on Him in whom they have not 
believed? How are they to believe in Him whom they have never heard? 
And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are 
they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, how beautiful 
are the feet of those who preach the good news, but they have 
not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has 
believed what he has heard from us? So faith comes from hearing. and hearing through the word 
of God. As we proclaim the word of God, 
God, using the dragnet analogy, pulls his fish in, grabs his, 
or draws the wheat unto himself through the proclamation of the 
gospel. And may I say that there is an 
eschatological implication when it comes to this idea of election. 
There is an eschatological implication with this. Now I must confess, 
I haven't quite landed yet when it comes to premillennialism, 
amillennialism, or postmillennialism. But one thing I know, and that's 
why I'm going to seminary, so I learn these things and land 
before this is full time, but one thing I do know concerning 
the second coming of Christ. It will not happen until the 
last person that the Lord God has chosen believes. It will 
not happen until the last person that is chosen believes on the 
Lord Jesus Christ, and it's called through the proclamation of the 
gospel. Certainly, what does that say? 
It gives the end times, the second coming of Christ, it puts it 
in the knowledge of God. And so what do we do? We just 
let him deal with that. We just, as believers, we just 
simply should just live our lives and not worry about those, and 
not worry about when it's coming, but just live in a manner consistent 
with the Gospel, because God knows when the time is, and we 
need to trust Him with that. We need to trust Him with that. And for believers, I'm sure some 
are questioning whether or not they are elect or predestined 
or any of those sort of things, but carefully consider the benefits. Carefully consider the order 
of salvation. As I've said, predestination 
is just one aspect. It is the eternal aspect of the 
things that happen in history. Are you being sanctified? Are 
you being conformed more and more to the image of Christ by 
the work of the Spirit? Are you dying more and more into 
sin? Are you hating sin? Not perfectly, especially not 
on this side of heaven, but are you dying more and more unto 
it? they die more and more unto it. 
Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ and thus are considered 
righteous in His sight, justified in His sight, adopted as a son 
of God, adopted as a son of God? Have you considered these things? 
And if so, Praise the Lord God that salvation happened in eternity, 
that by His goodness and by His mercy and by His compassion, 
He predetermined whom He will save. And give Him praise and 
honor for that. That should just have something 
well up inside when we just want to praise the Lord. So I pray 
that we would do that for His goodness and His kindness and 
His mercy. I think this is an encouragement 
as well. This is an encouragement as well, because God will do 
what He said He will do. He's not immutable. He doesn't change on a dime. 
He doesn't cater to our every whim. He doesn't change His plans 
based on what we would do. He's not passable. He's impassable. But he does exactly what he said 
he will do. We have a powerful, omnipotent 
God that we can call upon, one we can trust in, and one that 
we know is governing the world according to his wise and powerful 
preserving. Praise the Lord for that. Praise 
the Lord that we have a good God, a kind God, a just, powerful, 
wise God. A just and powerful, wise God. I just want to conclude with 
the consideration when it comes to the gospel. One thing that 
this teaches us, especially in verse 16, is our inability to 
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Our inability to believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ. Our inability for saving mercy. Our inability for that. And certainly 
it is the Lord God who teaches us what sin is through regenerating 
our hearts and giving us a heart of stone, or changing a heart 
of stone to a heart of flesh. But the way, as I said, that 
happens is through the proclamation of the gospel. And if I'm going 
to be consistent with my beliefs in election and the way the elect 
are drawn forth, I must proclaim this. died for the ungodly, Christ 
died for his people, Christ died for sinners. If you have Well, 
unbeliever, you have transgressed the law of God. Paul says that 
in Romans 1 to 3. Now, I would implore you now 
to believe on Him, have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and 
as I've said already, He will and can save you from your sins. Let's praise His name and go 
to Him in prayer. Jeremy, Father, we thank you 
for this day, Lord God. We thank you that you are God 
and we are man. Sometimes we hate that. Help 
us to... to confess our pride, Lord God, 
and to commit our sinfulness to you, Lord God, 
and ask for mercy. We just thank you for your mercy, 
Lord God. We thank you that you do save 
according to your will, God, that you will do exactly as you 
have planned, Lord God, and we want to praise your name for 
this. We pray that you would continue to draw the elect forth, 
that you would save sinners from their sins, Lord God, that you 
would just grant them the benefits that you have talked about in 
Scripture, Lord God, that you would justify them, that you 
would You would sanctify them, Lord God, and just help us to 
trust in You daily, to put away our humanity, and to trust in 
the deity, Lord God. We just praise Your name for 
the Lord Jesus Christ, that we are predestined in Him, that 
He's procured salvation for His people. We want to praise Your 
name for that, Lord God. Amen.